Unusual mite problem

[skips]

There's an acarologist on another forum I asked about this. he said he couldnt say much without pictures of the mites. Is that possible?

 

[SAn]

I dont.. I just gave an opinion but obviously no one should mess with the 20 years of experience. He should make statements instead of asking questions so we all learn.

 

[Satellite Rob]

Hay San,
You are right about 1 thing.I'm sorry for that last post.You are entitled to your own opinion.

Hi San,
I would just like to take some time to say i'm sorry again.I was angry and
frustrated about something else.You just picked the wrong time to make a
post.If thats how i'm going to respond to members.Then I shouldn't be
making threads.I had to go out right after I made that post.When I returned
and read it.I thought to myself what a jerk I was.So thanks for post and i'll
never do that anyone ever again.

 

[SAn]

Ok Rob,

I came at you as well because of the the initial answer of yours since i considered it impolite. Just wanted to give you a different view of those pics you posted.
I would advise to keep the pedes in normal conditions and if you see mites crawl all over them use hypoaspis miles. They work like a charm.
In fact i use them very 4-5 months as a precaution anyway.

 

[KyuZo]

Ok Rob,

I came at you as well because of the the initial answer of yours since i considered it impolite. Just wanted to give you a different view of those pics you posted.
I would advise to keep the pedes in normal conditions and if you see mites crawl all over them use hypoaspis miles. They work like a charm.
In fact i use them very 4-5 months as a precaution anyway.

SAn,
do u keep the hypoaspis miles culture alive and well fed and cultivate them every 4-5 months for your pedes or do u order a new colony every 4-5 months?

if you culture your own Hypoaspis miles, then can you tell me how? what do u feed them?

 

[SAn]

Kyuzo,

I order the miles. They are cheaper to order than cultivate them. 1 bottle costs like 10-15 euro and can go for over 100 pedes.
Cultivating them needs time, proper tanks, humidity, food etc etc.. a big mess

If you cant find any or they cost a lot, you should really consider springtails.
I haven't used them but i know some people who find those very effective since
they eat all the leftovers of food and feces ASAP and thus they give no room
for mite growth

 

[KyuZo]

yup, for all my cages, i am currently using isopods and springtails, and they work out great.

I was just curious about the H. miles that you're working with, that's all.

 

[Lucas339]

Hi skips,
I've been keeping 5 of my 12 S.Hardwickei's bone dry paper towels for more
than a month.Every frass i've checked under a microscope for more than a
month has mite eggs on them.None of the frass samples had a single live mite
on any of them since I move them to sterile containers. Everbody wants to
dismiss my claims do to environmental contamination.No one wants to consider
I might be right.Well i've been keeping my experiment a sterile as humanly
possibly under home conditions.Now I feel I have the proof to back my claims.
I've already hatched out my frass samples and produced mites.I have 4 more
frass cultures and thay should be hatching out in the next couple days.I have
not seem a mite in over a month.But I still have eggs in every frass I check.
If there are no mites in there containers.Where are these eggs coming from.
I've been checking there containers daily with a strong magnafing glass and
not found a single mite in more than a month.Since I started this project.
I've been cleaning there containers with a 5% bleach and water solution daily
I also been keeping S.Hardwickei's on dry paper towel and changing it daily.
Well now I fell I have the proof and i'm willing to back it.I would be willing to
send 1 of my S.Hardwickei's to anyone who is qualified to document this and
share there findings with me.I don't want to share in the credit.I just want
you to share your findings with me.There would be 2 things I need before I
ship the animals.

1-Proof that you are qualified to do this experiment.
2-Proof that you can provide a sterile environment to do this experiment
properly.I would prefer a zoo or university.But any qualified person would be
considered.

Well the offer is out there.Do we have any takers.

Rob,

I work at harbor branch/FAU here in fort pierce. i would like to document your claims. im not saying i don't belive you, but i would like to see this for myself. i can also help to back YOU up with these findings. i have microscopes, both dissecting and light, that have camera attachments. i am also an invert taxonomist.

let me know if you really want to do this. i can meet you half way or something that way you don't have to ship it.

 

[skips]

Hello!
If I understood right, on pics are only eggs of those mites ? Could You get some picture of mites as well ?
Well, for the vertabrates are lots of endoparasitic mites, that's right.

and also for invertebrates. Acarapis woodi is a species of trachial mites that lives in honey bees and was blamed in part for colony colapse syndrome. If there is an animal with a crevice capable of sustaining life, there IS a parasite for it.

Rob, if you're still intersted in sending those out to be looked at im waiting for some info to be sent to me on how to contact the ohio state ecarology department. According to the acarologist ive been talking to, there are a few described species of endoparasitic mites...its just that not many have been looked at. So what's up with your mites at this point?

 

[Galapoheros]

just more evidence that nobody has and nobody will ever, "seen it all" ..interesting stuff.

 

[Satellite Rob]

One of my S.Hardwickei's went to be checked for the eggs in it's frass.Thay
found eggs in it's frass and are doing cultures to see what hatches out.If thay
have the same results as I did.Thay will hatch into mites.When the tests are
compleat he will make a new thread with the results.Thay checked the pede
today external mites and none were found.But all frass thay checked had
eggs on them.Thay have done alot of work with mites and never seen anything
like it before.Thay have taken alot of micro macro pictures to document
there findings.I was told thay would start to release there there findings as
soon as there first frass cultures hatch out.This way thay will have pictures
of the eggs and what hatches from them.So it looks like i'm not crazy and to
people who thought I was crazy.You may still be right.Because else but me
is wasting there time looking at pede frass under a microscope.Watch for the
new thread for the lab results and pictures.

PS:Orin I didn't forget about you.It's been a working 15 hour days and have not
had the time.But I will send you a Hardwickei next week.This way you can compare
your results with the lab.Thay said thay would you the results if you want.Please
let me know what days would be good to ship next week.

 

[Galapoheros]

Sounds very interesting! If there are mite eggs, my guess is that they are grain mite eggs that have been ingested by the pede and another way for them to relocate. It wouldn't surprise me if grain mite eggs could survive the gut of a pede. If it's some other kind of mite, that would freak me out!

 

[Satellite Rob]

We should know in a week or two.This might prove that we don't know as
much as we we like to think and theres something new around every corner.
Since the Hardwickei is being kept in a sterile container and it's being checked
for external mites every day.Whos to say were the eggs are coming from.
When I got my S.Hardwickei I also received 3 dead Hardwickei's packed
91% alcohol solution.I'm sending 1 to them to do a internal biopsy to see
whats inside them and to see if thay can find out were the eggs are coming
from.They will be receiving it on tuesday and then we will know alot more.I
almost threw out the preserved Hardwickei's 10 different times or I was going
to send them to R Shelly.But now i'm glad I kept them.

 

[burmish101]

Well heres my oddball theory.

I've had lobster roaches frozen solid that came back to life, what if other inverts like mites could withstand a freezing than reanimate like the roaches did. Reading the above post of the guy feeding his snake mice and mites and eggs in the snakes fras from the mice, and you feed the pedes frozen pinkies is it possible that they can survive through eating and digestion from the pede and reanimate during the process then hatch out after defecation?

Its probably wacked out for a theory and what not, just throwing an idea out there.

 

[Galapoheros]

I'm not sure what other people are thinking about this topic, could be diff questions related to it. Personally, I'm thinking "what kind of mites might they be other than grain mites, if the round things are eggs?" That would be my question, what kind of mites are they? If they are grain mites, I will not be very surprised. But, it will be something learned if it's discovered the grain mite eggs survive in the pede gut and hatch out in the frass. What a great survival tactic for the ....grain mites

 

[Lucas339]

they are for sure eggs of some sort. they are rather large for mite eggs in my opinion. i have them incubating right now and we shall see (hopefully monday) as to what pops out. i will say that these eggs are too large to be grain mites. again IMO.....i could be suprised on monday.

there is no way for them to be eating the mite eggs and passing them. every effort on robs and my part have taken to make sure there could be no adults in the tub. the only thing could be happening is there are some kind of animal in the intestines of the pede passing these eggs on.

i will look into some acid test of grain mite eggs and these eggs to see if they could make it through a digestive tract but i highly doubt this is the case.

i will be posting the pics and findings in a sperate thread once i get things all in a row.

 

[Galapoheros]

Going by the frass pic, my first thought too was that they are too big for grain mite eggs, they look as big as grown grain mites, seems close anyway and taking into account the size of pede frass I've seen. This is really weird. There have been several of us here that have seen other small white balls in pede frass but finally assumed they weren't eggs. I wonder if these are the same or different? Pretty interesting Rob, I'm glad you were aggressive about finding out what it is and I like that you sent a pede to more than one person. In a way, I'm hoping to find something new and diff here but, not good for the pedes maybe, so, also would be good if it turns out to be something else not so bad. Looking forward to some results.

 

[Satellite Rob]

The only good thing I can say.Is that it doesn't seem to be causing the S.Hardwickei
any problems so far.There appetite has not been affected at all and thay eat
anything I give them.Thay all seem like healthy normal pedes.Except for the
frass eggs.I was wondering if this is a mite from india and anyone with Asian
pedes mite wont to check there frass.Because I would bet that S.Hardwickei's
are not the only pede that carries them.But you will need a microscope to
check them and i'm surprised that more members haven't ckecked already.
If thay have them?You will know as soon as you look at the frass.Because
you will see eggs everywhere.Thay will look like a microscopic tarantula eggs.
Maybe it was a good thing that members gave me so much trash.Because it
only set the fire under my ass.To find out whats was going on.I've been doing
this a long time and when I see something I that i've never seen before.I
don't crumble to presure.Just because people give me heat about it.I've
6 different reports about mite eggs in pede frass.Thanks to some members
that didn't brush me off and said I was nuts.But nobody ever pursued there
claims.Well thats not me.I will find out whats going on.I would like to thank
my friend out there who know and supported me and claims.Just because
you haven't seen it doesn't make it untrue.

 

[burmish101]

Panesthia species of roaches have a parasite in their gut that helps them digest food, maybe whatever thats in the pedes serves a simbiotic relationship kind of like that maybe? Whatever it is thats going on i'm sure interested in finding out!

 

[Satellite Rob]

Hay burmish101,
It's been a long weekend.I can't wait to see what Lucas339 finds on monday.
I already hatch out 8 cultures and thay were all mites.How improbable as it
may sound.So I have no reason to think that Lucas will have any different results than
mine.But we should know soon.I was wondering for weeks if it could be a simbiotic
relationship between the pedes and the mites.But that would take alot more
time and pedes to prove.I'm crossing my fingers that we know more tomorrow.